SOO-ZAH-NAH

Home (to be) Sweet Home

2011-11-18T08:58:00.005-06:00

We found it. We bought it. We're working on it. And needless to say, I'm very excited about it! Soon, every morning (or afternoon) I can sit in my living room and look up at these windows and the light that shines through them and into our lives. We will be living in a Chicago icon, a brick bungalow.

It is a smaller home, on a quiet block, close enuf to the Metra to walk, close to the expressway to commute (but not so close you can hear it) with a nice yard and garage for two. My car won't know what to do with itself in a garage after parking on the street for so long. The only downside was that there were some updates needed - which we are undertaking before moving. THe previous owner had been there over 50 years...

The historical and architectural significance of the bungalow in Chicago has been of great interest to me of late. I was excited to learn more about the area and when it was developed (our house was built in 1922 and sold for $8K at the time...in the 1930 census a family of eight was living there - and we thought it was going to be small for two). The neighborhood was one of the first to implement zoning requirements - where its only houses on the block as opposed to multi-use and businesses interspersed. The fact that after all these years, ours still looks great and is certified "historic" - which means there are things we can and cant do to it! I am interested in keeping the charm of the house, while updating it to current conditions. But most of all, im am looking forward to beginning the next chapter of my life and my marriage in our new home!

Home Sweet Home.

Of Houses and Men

2011-05-20T18:28:00.016-05:00

People keep saying that in this depressed housing market, anyone wanting to buy a house has thousands to pick from. After months of searching, it has occurred to me that looking for a house today is like dating in your fourties.

When you are young, everything and everyone is an option, because you haven’t grown to see what is right for you. You figure you will find something or someone good and grow together. You will adjust, remodel and build on accordingly. When you are older, you know better what works for you and what you want, and what is realistic. You also know that the good deals aren’t always what they appear to be. At first blush, there are plenty of men and houses that look appealing or go for cheap these days, but there are risks and squirmy things under the rocks you don’t want to deal with.

Foreclosure: A house that has been foreclosed on is like a man 10 minutes after a bad divorce. He’s beat up, the appliances have been ripped out and the copper piping has been sold for scrap. He’s a shadow of what he used to be, and knows it.

As–is: A house selling in as-is condition is like a man that still lives with his mother. Things may look good on the surface, and the price is low. He dresses well, but you wonder if he’s yet to realize he’s gay, or will never leave mom behind? And once you commit to him, there is no way out of the deal (in an as-is transaction, the inspection clause is meaningless) you are stuck with all the structural/emotional problems that aren’t visible or smellable.

Short-Sale: A house being sold as a short sale is like a man who is contemplating separation or divorce and not truly available for making any real deals without months or years in delays. The bank (or the wife/ex-wife and children) really determine if you are going to have a permanent relationship or not, while still keeping you tied up at a hotel as they try to make a decision. Most short-sales are also as-is transactions (see above).

Under-Water: A house being listed for well over its worth is like a man who’s still hanging on to his high-school football glories. This is the nice house that has sat on the market for over a year with little or no price change. This is the house, or man, whose value peaked a while ago, and hasn’t recognized that the world has changed. His muscles are flabbed and the hair is gone. All was achieved (or bought) at the top of the market and the seller still expects to lose nothing on their investment. This is the guy who still thinks he looks good in his Camaro.

Well, most of you know I have found the right Honda driving someone who was none of the above. Together, we are looking for the right something. I know there is a house out there calling us home, we just haven’t crossed it's threshold yet.

On with the hunt!

My camera, my self

2011-01-17T16:25:00.006-06:00

As a photographer, it is sometimes hard to explain what the really camera is. Its not just a tool, its a part of you. It is the way one captures the world and expresses one's thoughts. I don't know when exactly it happened, but having a camera and being a photographer is part of who I am. It is one of the things that empowers me, brings me joy, makes me whole, is a part of my self respect...my heart, mind and soul.

I watched this film today - and like Maria - I realize that it takes me away from the other parts of life sometimes, but I could never give it up. But, it is also a way that I interact with the people in my life and the world that surrounds me.

If there is an artist, a musician, poet, writer, painter, photographer, sculptor in your life - thank you for understanding the creativeness that feeds us.

What dreams are made of...

2011-01-12T08:49:00.000-06:00

I had a vivid dream last night about ME. She was still a little weak, but so healthy, too! She could get around fairly easily and her hair was coming back. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes full of laughter and light. She was happy, she had surprised us all and we were in joyful disbelief in her improved condition. I think there was a book involved that she was writing or was written about her miraculous recovery, it was all so damn wonderful. Sunshine, warmth, breezes, flowers! I think she was driving her car around, too…something she hated to do even in the best of times. We were all so delighted and it was cruel to wake up to find out it wasn’t real…and my husband sleeping on the couch (because I had gone to bed early and he didn’t want to disturb me). I woke him, brought him to bed, and he held me as I cried.

He came into my life in a more defined way just around the time she discovered her terminal illness. Part of me has always felt - as much as we have in common and share so many things and truly love – that the God’s brought him to me then because they knew it was going to be a hard time and that I would need a another true forever friend. The timing of these events do not diminish my love for either person – but just seed my faith in that everything happens for a reason, and even as horrible as something might be, something wonderful can come from it. While marrying on 1-1-11 had many benefits –one deepest in my heart was to honor ME with a positive event on what would have been her 65th birthday.

Modern (?) Mail

2010-02-12T11:31:00.003-06:00

As much has technology has replaced the novelty of letters and cards, it is impossible to send or enjoy a gift in the virtual world. So we have to rely on the post office, or one of those other delivery services...or deliver it ourselves (which is preferred, but when there are acres of snow, one is reticent to get in the car to drive).

I wanted to send a small gift to someone to celebrate Valentines Day and used the post office. Below is the trail of the package so far:

Facility Electronic Shipping CHICAGO IL 60601 02/10/10 2:48pm Info Received

Facility Processed through Sort CHICAGO IL 60701 02/11/10 12:07am

Processed through Sort ELK GROVE VILLAGE IL 60007 02/11/10 2:26pm

Arrival at Unit CHICAGO IL 60645 02/12/10 5:10am

Sorting Complete CHICAGO IL 60645 02/12/10 8:56am

The killer is - why did this have to leave the city? It was going from downtown to the north side of the city, therefore, it never had a need to leave the 606 zip zone. But it did.

What is wrong with this? I'm not really grousing, I just think its kind of funny.

No End and No Beginning

2009-12-29T21:13:00.004-06:00

A year ago – I had decisions to make. Decisions to make and actions to follow. I didn’t do them. Well...maybe I did. I decided not to decide, and decided not to act. I decided to stick with the status quo of my life. Even so, my life has changed during this past year. I still have the same dreams, the same joys and people in my life that I love – but I have grown, they have grown, my relationships have grown - the peace in my heart has grown. I’m glad I had the year I had because while my life isn’t perfect – it is good. And I am thankful for the blessings I have.

There is no end and there is no beginning - there is just day by day and moment by moment. There is just life.

Sharing what is good in the world

2009-11-25T21:30:00.000-06:00

Early Morning in Wind Point, WI

2009-10-01T13:04:00.000-05:00

Bon Appétit!

2009-07-31T09:29:00.004-05:00

There has always been a joy and desire in me to cook. I love the creative aspect of it. While there are rules, there is also immense flexibility – a boon to the artistic soul. I have always tried a recipe, and then after the first run, revised it to make it my own – usually with the ingredients. Which is why I never serve the same quiche twice (I never remember what I did or how much I used last time!) The problem is that there is rarely an opportunity to eat all that is prepared, so I didn't do it. However, I have done more this summer and found peace, pride and satisfaction of preparing things in the occasional weekend morning to be cooked or served later in the day….I have begun to channel my inner 1950’s housewife!

I have also picked up the strudel bug and have been experimenting away with fillings. I am almost ready to move on from the ready made pastry dough (thank you Pepperidge Farm) as I finally bought a rolling pin about a month ago! I credit part of this renewed vigor in having folks to feed, and maybe age, maturity, and Julia Child. When I learned a film was coming out, I just had to go – the cooker/baker/sauté-er in me cannot wait. Not growing up with a TV, she was some sort of cheesy nuance out in the real world, but reading her book “My Life in France” the last week, has found me perusing YouTube for videos and I am having trouble delaying the thrill of buying “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”. I have also reached out to my mother. She is known for her solid cooking – while it may not be adventurous, what she does, she does very well. She has been saying for years that we have to learn these things…so this weekend we start with basic chicken broth!
Thank you Mom and Julia!

RIP MEF 1946-2009

2009-07-17T08:56:00.001-05:00

"Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there; I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow, I am the sun on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circling flight. I am the soft starlight at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there; I did not die." - Mary Frye

I know this much is true

2009-07-01T11:06:00.007-05:00

“To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.” (Thomas Campbell)

I know this much is true. I know that the ones we love never go away. I find comfort in that.

In the last year, and more specifically in the last few months, I have witnessed a loved one continue through her life the best way she can as she is riddled with cancer and tumors. The change in the last month has been drastic – but I have had time to prepare for this. It still hurts. Nevertheless, I know that she will not ever really be gone.

I know this much is true because I still feel the others who I have lost all around me. My Oma is everywhere, when I laugh and think positive about all that is negative, whenever anything that reminds me…reminds me. I still cry because I miss her, but those tears go away and I smile in the love we still share. I was also overwhelmed quite recently with thoughts of my uncle – his son was graduating from college and I just knew how much this means to him….especially as his son was following his engineering tracks! It was not just that moment – it is whenever I hear of curry, or sail boats, or ceviche…and dumb jokes. He is still here.

Therefore, I know that when she ends her battle that she will not be there for me to talk to, confide in or go shopping with…instead I will have memories and moments when she is still with me. I thank whatever it is in this world that makes this happen. Life is hurtful and challenging at times, but giving us beautiful people to share it with forever is a glorious gift.

Thank you.

Sweet Home Chicago

2009-05-19T10:22:00.002-05:00

An Open Letter to Chris Bohjalian

2009-03-26T10:45:00.013-05:00

“Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves.” - C.L. Pearson

Mr. Bohjalian:

I thank you for highlighting – at least fictionally – a reality of WWII that so many did not know about (or choose to ignore) in your book, "Skeletons at the Feast". My mother’s family was one of the many many many civilian German families on “Die große Flucht” in the winter of 1945. Some of what she remembers from that event of her childhood is sleeping outside under the stars and the sky being so very red (and she still gets a little jumpy with the 4th of July fireworks). I was never able to ask my grandmother about it – and she didn’t volunteer any information. Sadly, because now, after she is gone, is when I have learned so much more and can appreciate what really was going on and applaud the heroic strength she and so many women of her generation had.

The horrors of the trip coupled with the primal fear of the threatened “Russian realities” were not alleviated when the family reached Schleswig-Holstein (from Pomerania). When the war ended, German citizens were subjected to a hellish and inappropriate deprivation to their lives for several more years. As I am sure you have learned – the treatment the German civilian population by the Allies was ridiculously unfair. So, while I recognize that this book is a work of fiction, I do think that the ending was a little unrealistic – at least in what happened to the mother character. The resultant crowding in western Germany coupled with the destruction – left little living space to accommodate everyone appropriately. In reality, the housing situation was rather dire and the treatment of the refugees was very poor – even by other Germans. “Flüchtlinge” was a bad word.

As someone living in (and born in) the modern US – we cannot fathom what real war and real suffering is really about (not even as a soldier or as an innocent person living in a country under attack). So much is said – and justly so - about the Holocaust. I have researched and worked the thoughts through my mind for many years to understand how the German people could let that happen. Respecting what happened in that terrible reality is no reason to disallow the additional tragic reality for millions of innocent civilians at the end of the war, and the years to follow. War is hell. I realize that to appeal to an American audience, you had to approach the story in a broad swipe with multiple characters and views. Sadly, I think you forfeited the opportunity to solely focus on a part of history (the trek itself – and even the further expulsion and treatment of the German populace after the war) that has been ignored in US for over 60 years. That is a story – and facts – that really should be introduced to the average American reader who still thinks that every German was a Nazi and should be punished for it. I praise and thank you for including this historical setting in your book and introducing something that may be on its way to being forgotten or hidden forever.

All that said, I did enjoy reading “Skeletons at the Feast”, and as soon as I finished the introduction, I ordered a copy for my mother. While she experienced this episode as a very young child, I know it would be interesting for her to get a further idea of what was going on in the minds of her mother and grandparents. As I mentioned earlier, they didn’t really talk about it. While the family suffered tremendously, as Germans they didn’t complain. They were happy to be alive and to have each other (which was a miracle in itself). They took care of what had to be done. And ultimately they worked hard and built up from the rubble an enviable economy and culture – which is the history we all know about.

Dirty Windows and Daffodils

2009-03-12T18:34:00.002-05:00

The promise of spring!

Welcome Back Jemaine and Bret!

2009-02-09T20:30:00.004-06:00

....I missed you!

Do pigeons have friends?

2009-01-15T11:13:00.014-06:00

I was waiting on the Lake Street el platform last night and just cracked up at what I saw huddled in the heated semi-enclosure: About a dozen “fluffed out” pigeons in a space clearly intended for human use. I wasn’t chilled enough to get under the heat lamps with them and REALLY wished for my camera. (Fortunately, someone else has already documented this phenomenon here.)

As two of the birds took flight from the warmth, I began to wonder – where are they going? Why these two? Are they friends. . . do pigeons actually make friends? I looked it up and they do mate for life. Which leads to the question: Are they active on Facebook (FB)?

Apparently, last week FB had its 150 millionth "member" join. If numerous cats and dogs are members – why not pigeons? (I am not kidding, a friend’s cat has his own page . . . his status alerts us that he’s busy napping and waiting for his owner to come home to feed him.) According to Slate (read the article here), if you aren’t on FB, you probably don’t have any friends. Being “on” FB is now as common as having a cell phone – it is a “normal” expectation for those in polite society. Just like wearing clean clothes, brushing your teeth and disliking pigeon mess . . .

Times . . . they are a changing.
(And yes, I finally joined FB last weekend - mostly to stay in contact with folks far away. I have EVERY intention to not let it replace human and face to face interaction! Heck - I still refuse to "text" as a replacement for a quick phone call! )

The Beginning and the End

2008-12-30T12:16:00.012-06:00

This year is ending. A new year is beginning. Its a time of reflection of what was and what will come to be. I have only made one semi-resolution and I will try to keep it. It is something I decided a few months ago. Well to be fair, what I decided was that I would have to decide what I was going to do by now (year end, year beginning). But I am probably going to remain indecisive - because in reality, yes its a pinnacle "hallmark" time - but not really - its just another day. . . right? When there isn't a lot going on, one is allowed to give more thoughtful consideration to things. My resolve changes every day. . . from one extreme to the other and then sort of levels out in the middle. . .like water. (que sera, sera)

The mind can remain level - like the strength of these trees amongst the ice of the lake in the deep cold of winter. I took this picture at the lake near Montrose Harbor on December 20. What a blustery day, but such beautiful light and streaks of blue in the sky. . .

I love being able to photograph my world . . . and that is something I don't have to make a decision about - because it just is part of me!

Happy 2009 Everyone!

Faith Hope Joy Peace

2008-12-12T14:39:00.005-06:00

O, welcome, pure-eyed faith, white-handed hope, thou hovering angel, girt with golden wings. - John Milton

May your holidays be blessed with faith, hope, joy and peace.

Gifts

2008-12-08T13:18:00.013-06:00

“In my doubly shadowed world faith gives me a reason for trying to draw harmony out of a marred instrument. Faith is not a cushion for me to fall back upon; it is my working energy.” - Helen Keller

This season always excites me because I love the idea of giving gifts to those I love and care about. It’s a time to express myself creatively and to express my feelings. In my mind – it is time to celebrate the gifts we have in life – time to reflect upon what life has given me. The greatest of these treasures are the people in my life. They come from all phases and forums, and I am constantly honored…and surprised when I think of some of them. It’s a magical feeling to realize that you know what is right and what is supposed to be in your life. You don’t question it – or try to overanalyze it – you just let it be. And that is a lesson I have learned – I have tried to think too much, to solve too many problems, and have never really been good at letting things be what they “be”. One friend says it’s a question of faith. Maybe I didn’t have faith that if I didn’t mess around with it - I can’t be responsible. It is a matter of faith to trust the connections we have – to have faith in my judgment, leave it alone, and let what will be will be. I have to have faith that what will be will be good – a gift.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Change is inevitable. It's the only true constant.

2008-10-20T15:02:00.023-05:00

My mind has leased a lot of real estate the last few months thinking about changes in my life the last few years. The palpitating shocks of change and the power of new realities in ones life. So much happens without our control. Our minds (at least mine) are constantly flipping through everything…dog paper water google Liberace car elbow KLM denim coffee shoes money fromages gaffer taxes carpet…at a ridiculous rate of change – so who has time or ability to really process a new reality – or even an old one that has risen from the dead? Especially when new thoughts and ideas keep jumping into the mind mix – every day is new, every minute and second is new, it is never ever really the same thing twice. With all that disruption, who can concentrate? It is really rather unsettling sometimes.

A lot goes on within us, without us, and all around us - and it is especially more apparent when one is trying to change our mindset to accommodate the daily delivery of new information direct from left field! What makes the switch real – how fast can it happen? I am not talking about when the light changes from red to green – I am talking about positive gains, new questions and confusion, losses, laughter...the big changes like going from child to parent without a gestation period, or the metamorphosis from autocracy to democracy. I read a wonderful definition of paradigm shift by Thomas Kuhn: "…series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions…causing one conceptual world view to be replaced by another view."

So that is what it is in a nutshell – and some moments it is easier than others to mollify the “intellectually violent revolutions” in one's mind as one transitions through to the ultimate change. I know that in the “end” I will be new, transformed, evolved and changed – but what to? I know the fundamental me will be the same, but there will be some type of major discontinuity too…not just the 90% reduction in chocolate consumption.

While we all ponder this, I must share a piece of music I recently fell in love with (just hit the arrow below). It exactly fits my mode right now, "...and she's gonna need more time." This song is entitled "She" by the band "Grand Avenue". You can hear more of their music here.

"She" from the film "Cashback" - Grand Avenue

The referenced film, CASHBACK, is one I recommend. It was visually stimulating, thought provoking, funny, sweet and with a great soundtrack, too. Music can make or break a film, and the film makers made excellent choices! One minor warning, don't be put off by the female nudity. In this film, it isn't gratuitous - its about the artistic beauty of the human form.
See preview here.

A Heron in Jackson Park

2008-09-21T20:29:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we saw a heron - it was so simply serene, but so strong. It was calming and I loved its shape in the shadows and reflections on the water. As I looked at my pictures, I wondered what the symbolism of it was. From various sources:

The heron sometimes appeared in allegories of Christians rising above the storms of life, as herons rise above the clouds.
As a Chinese symbol the heron represents strength, purity, patience and long life.
As a water creature the heron is a symbol of going with the flow, and working with the elements of Mother nature rather than struggling against her.

A heron is a beautiful thing.

(You can click on the picture to launch it in a larger format.)

End of Summer

2008-09-03T19:59:00.002-05:00

Flashback to Childhood

2008-08-10T21:04:00.007-05:00

Not many know, but as children, we spent quite a bit of time at the races - Blackhawk Farm and Road America...and in a few road rallies too. While I have transitioned to an adult who owned "sports" cars (but not currently) and really truly prefers the standard transmission - I've not been part of the racing scene in over 20 years. I didn't go to a race, didn't watch it on TV, didn't thumb through Road & Track...gave up the dream of my own Porsche.

That all changed this weekend.

I returned to my roots. It was a beautiful day - great light, blue sky, beautiful clouds, cars, cars, cars, good company and an opportunity to take about 500 pictures...apropos as it was the Generac500. While my favorite pictures from the day aren't really racing related - I had to share this one! And of course, I just loved the paint job on the Aston Martin (007 didn't finish the race - must have been overly shaken and stirred)!

Dad...can I borrow the Porsche?

Morning Glory Morning

2008-08-06T18:22:00.000-05:00

Uh Huh

2008-07-23T10:59:00.008-05:00

This is why I am concerned about this year's election...
...combined with the opinions of these kids (all grown up!)
Where are these kids today – what are they thinking – are they still on the picket line? But the real point or question I want to make is – have you ever wondered about those kids in your kindergarten, 1st or 2nd grade class pictures? I look at them and all I can remember is the first names of a few people - and "Douglas" my first beau - I can also point out the kid who ate crayons…where are they today? Do I work with them? Do they ride the train with me? Did they check me out at the grocery store? Is one of them the US Ambassador to Uganda? In prison? What happens to someone in a lifetime and what do they remember all the way through? I did run into one friend from second grade at church a few years ago…but we didn’t stay in touch after that. There are a few schoolmates in my life that I have stayed in contact with from as far back as 6th grade…and my best friend from 4th grade lives not far from me but we haven’t talked in over 10 years, but that is balanced by my continuing friendship with someone I knew before I was born (our parents were close friends - still are!). What makes people stay in our hearts and what lets them go?

In all the changes in my life, there have been constants and there have been additions – and I thank the world at large for giving me such wonderful friends – you know who you are!

I believe in something better

2008-06-24T22:04:00.005-05:00

I saw this and was held captive watching it and wondering - which company is putting this message out there? It is beautiful. I love this new positioning and campaign for them (but I am sticking with my current provider for now). I loved this one too - who hasn't had that amazing feeling happen to them - thank you for bringing it to life.

Its a brave and modest thing to not talk just about dollars and cents in marketing, but to talk about values - and the tool we have (in a cell phone!) to live our lives - to connect to our family and friends - it makes life better. Any phone (or letter or email) can do that - but I give them credit for cutting to the chase - to speak the unspoken words - we don't use a cell phone for coolness or games or convenience, we have it to "spread the love" in this great world we live in.

Yard Birds

2008-05-22T13:21:00.010-05:00

Spring is here - and once again, the mourning doves have begun to make their home in the eaves of the deck. They have come back for about four years now, always building something new. I've been having a little struggle with them to confirm who has the "right of way" on my railings etc, but hope that my "red scarecrow" bird will keep up the good work of protecting my plants and flowers! The other struggle is with starting anew - my spring is going to be the time of something new for me, unfortunately, I don't quite know what its going to be and how I am going to feel about it...what will the adventure be? Puts me in mind of one of my favorite tunes, "Them Changes" by Buddy Miles. I couldn't find a presentable version on YOUTUBE to share here, but its a oft covered piece. If you want to flash back to Hef's hey day circa 1971 (which I don't particularly) there is a piece from his "After Dark" progam (think American Bandstand with cocktails) that sounds pretty good - and is kind of funny to watch (when you put it in the right frame of mind!) Click Here.

"Well well my mind is goin' through them changes, I feel just like i'm in the time....it's alright yeah yeah it's alright what I say it's alright ooo hooo"

Time of Wonder

2008-05-04T21:25:00.019-05:00

"Out on the islands that poke their rocky shores above the waters of Penobscot Bay, you can watch the time of the world go by, from minute to minute, hour to hour, from day to day, season to season."
- Robert McCloskey

And so there is more to wonder about: On a beautiful warm and sunny Chicago spring afternoon, I was in search of statuary and shadows to photograph. In my walk, I tried not to think too hard about the reality of my surroundings, but to focus on the beauty of the day, the green grass, birds, flowers, loving sentiments, the weather, etc.

But this one made me stop and wonder: What happened to the wife? She obviously intended to join him later - why else get this type of stone? Did she re-marry and the new man wanted her with him? Did she disappear with amnesia? Did she move out west? Sink in some bizarre boating accident...she can't still be alive? My curiousity got the better of me and I googled "Benjamin Laging" and found note of WWI draft registration, and census records that show Ben Laging and his wife "Joan" living in Chicago in 1920, and then he and his wife "June" living in Chicago in 1930 (her birth year was listed as 1898), and finally there was entry of a marriage in Indiana for a Jane Votava and Ben Laging (sometime between 1800 and 1940).

So Jane/Joan/June - I wonder, "Where did you go?"

I am fairly certain that Benjamin would also like to know!

Shut the Window!

2008-04-14T20:41:00.023-05:00

One of my favorite stories has always been, “A Room With A View,” by E.M. Forster. While I never read the book, I loved the dramatization in the 1986 Merchant Ivory film. In my view, Lucy Honeychurch and George Emerson remain one of the sweetest romances of our time. If you've never seen it, watch "Lying to George" - a pivotal plot point:

I had mixed feelings when I learned that BBC/PBS was showing a new (2006) adaptation of the book for Masterpiece this past weekend. I wondered how they could make a true masterpiece of film any better? I watched it with trepidation, and my mind and memory kept on returning to Merchant Ivory: Florence wasn’t as beautiful, the sun didn't shine in the Italian countryside, Windy Corner was boxy, and the soul and spirit of Lucy and George didn’t quite measure up.

Of course, it wasn’t all a disappointment and compared to regular TV these days, it was a good program. I didn't suffer watching it…until the end – where and when I had the most upsetting visceral and virulent reaction to the conclusion. I couldn’t believe what happened. How could I have not known of this ending, why hadn’t I read the book? Why did it hit me so hard? It was the death of something special - my serene and happy memory of a story I loved had been shattered.

After I calmed down, I did a little research and learned that as the book was published in 1908, the “new” ending and "twist" brought upon by WWI (1914-18) was fabricated to “update” the story for present day audiences. Yes, maybe it may have happened that way afterwards, but I prefer to keep the illusion of happily ever after. In today's world, I don't think I am alone in wanting to preserve the faith in the simpler things of life and joy that lasts. How could they throw a rock into the window of "A Room With a View"? Maybe I'm just that old fashioned when it comes to books and films, but at my age, I am allowed to be.

Why do we need to embellish what is already so beautiful? Does a rose by any other name smell more (or less) sweet? NO! Why are we messing with the classics? Stop it! Stop it, I say!

Everyone Needs a Snowman

2008-03-25T17:15:00.013-05:00

Everyone needs a snowman-even those folks that don't get out much...

While I do not believe M/M Charles Gates Dawes built Frosty, someone else was in the right spirit! (No pun intended!) I took advantage of an early Spring snowfall brightened by sunshine and visited Rosehill Cemetery. It was a beautiful day and I was not alone with my camera - I kept seeing the same big footprints at most of the places I stopped to focus and snap! All in all a great afternoon...until I lost my cell phone in the snow!

The picture below is one of my favorites for the day: I love the cool blue sky with streaks of white as a backdrop to this formal and sedate statue (atop one of 3K+ obelisks - symbolism anyone?) contrasted with the spiky, and one might say sort of creepy, trees reaching in to . . .

What's on your door step?

Earth Hour - March 29

2008-03-10T18:24:00.006-05:00

In Chicago at 8:00pm on Saturday March 29, 2008:

Turn your lights off, unplug everthing and give an hour back to your planet! Learn more about Earth Hour here.

Music IS the soundtrack to my life

2008-02-22T22:12:00.018-06:00

I can not comprehend what life would be without the music, words and notes that have filled my mind, touched my heart and fed my soul. It makes me smile, gets me dancing, lets me think and helps me cry. Of late, though, I have not dedicated the time or attention that I had in the past. I know now that I miss it...I am missing a critical component to my life. I could always count on the stirring experience of music before and I shall do so again.

You made 'em laugh -- you made 'em cry

You made us feel like we could fly

I'm resolved to ignore my computer, unplug the TV and shut the book for part of each day to renew my spirit in music, sound, stereo and radio...

I have always known that part of the reason that music impresses and inspires me so much is because it is something I will never be able to do. I can not sing, play an instrument, read notes – I can not perform LIVE in front of crowds of millions or craft a tune to build emotions. (These facts I do not mind, because I create in other ways.) Therefore, I appreciate those skills so very much in others...Mozart, Madonna, Elvis, Moby! One of the absolute bests in the field was Freddie Mercury of Queen. His colossal talent can make me cry. I am so touched by and am so respectful of the multiple gifts he had in every facet of making music - voice, lyrics, music, instrumentalism, presence (and more). Simply, it is beauty…and it is sadness that he died so young. What an absolutely amazing legacy he left us and fortunately, we can enjoy it all forever.

We hardly need to use our ears

How music changes through the years

It's Bunny Time!

2008-01-27T19:24:00.000-06:00

In the last few days, I have found myself entertained by animated bunnies. I don’t mean ones with great speech patter, hand movements, and a valid point to make (i.e. the Presidential debates) but actual rabbits who were drawn and colored for action. I have fallen in love with Jennifer Shiman’s Angry Alien 30-second re-enactment parodies. Click the "bunnies" on the right to visit the site. My absolute favorite is March of the Penguins - the "one final question" is a classic.

I also found this rather good film put out by Motorola:

So now I ponder those favorite rabbits - Bugs, Thumper, Peter, The Cadbury Bunny, YoYo of Hoops&YoYo fame, even the recently resurrected VW…the Rabbit has come back. (Way back when, my little sister had that car, and 10 years later I had the same thing, but by then it was called a Golf. Mighty interesting that they would keep on naming a car after an animal or game that always makes a big mess of the grass!?) In closing, I am going to add "Harvey" to my queue, and ask you:

Who or what's your favorite bunny?

New Years (High) Resolution

2008-01-01T14:50:00.000-06:00

I have heard it said that whatever someone is doing on New Year's Day is what they are fated to do the rest of the year...
Happy New Year from this photographer!

Delicious in December

2007-12-16T22:34:00.001-06:00

I live in an amazing world. I live in a world where I can buy raspberries amidst the cold and snow of December. I was tempted, and succumbed, to the 2 for $5 offer on 6 oz. packages of raspberries. (Yes, I know this equates to about 10 cents a berry.) I hid them away to eat in the next day or two. On my way to bed, I put something away in the fridge and saw them. I opened up the packet and popped one in my mouth...I was hit with an explosion of tart and sweet flavor. The fantastic flavor of a fresh raspberry.

Most off-season berries leave much to be desired, but at least they incite the distant memory of what it tasted like when it was in season. But, tonight, I was spiritually transported to summer - my mouth still has the sensation of fresh flavorful fruit. As you can see by the picture above, I was so emotionally affected by the berries that I had to document them.

This brings me back to this world we live in. We take a lot for granted, don't we? I realize that there are many advantages that I have and use, but what if I couldn't? We don't always think about what is involved in the every day things - so today I was reminded. Today I appreciate the farmer, workers, sun, rain, planes, trucks, grocer, and produce specialists, i.e. everyone involved who got these beautiful berries from California to me. THANK YOU!

PS - If you want to see how really beautiful the raspberries are, click on the picture and it will automatically enlarge. (Man! I love my camera!)

May Your Spirit Be Joyful

2007-12-13T21:00:00.000-06:00

...and may your heart feel the true meaning and blessing of Christmas.

Take it away Linus...

Ready! Set! Go! It's PHOTOFOLIO!

2007-12-01T19:45:00.000-06:00

I had every intention of putting together a second edition of The Pig Project - even had a a sub-title, "Flora and Ferkel" (ferkel is a term for a small pig in German). But while I got a great start in the spring and summer, it just faded away. Even so, with and without the pig, I did take quite a few amazing pictures this year.

I have selected the top 60 to appear in the very first edition of "PHOTOFOLIO." The term is original to me - it just popped in my head as I was designing the book on VIOVIO (my favorite on-demand printer/publisher). I love all the "O" sounds, and as you can easily figure out, it is the "bookends" of the term, "photography portfolio." I hope you order up a copy and enjoy it as much as I did putting it together. I believe I will do this every year - if not for you, for me!

On a side note - I have officially begun my Christmas. Last night, I hauled all my decorations and the tree up from my storage space (just in time as we have had some precipitation in Chicago today that iced over my back stairs). The tree is standing (but not yet decorated), the Erzgebirge angel orchestra was set up today, and tomorrow will bring more activity (and maybe a little tea and cookies to celebrate the first Advent's Sunday). One must keep a gradual pace as not to strain something. Also, because I promised myself to keep things simple and not overspend, I am almost done with the "shopping" too. And finally, as always, the cards will go out in the next week! Joy to the World

Giving Thanks

2007-11-17T11:59:00.000-06:00

I am thankful for my family, my friends, my creativity, my intellect, my appreciation of beauty - in music, in poetry, painting and people. I appreciate that I have freedom of expression, independence of mind, and glory of spirit. I am enthralled with the advances of science and technology, and the growth of a global mindset.

After watching Blood Diamond, I am particularly thankful that I do not make my home in Sierra Leone or any other third world country.

Not living my life under a rock (no pun intended), I did know about the issue of the conflict diamond trade. I got the message of the film - but unfortunately there is probably little or nothing I can do about it. It is a shame that it was not actualized for me until I saw this film and the horrible chain of atrocities committed in the ulitimate goal of commerce. The violence was just too incredible and traumatic for me, I had to keep pausing the DVD and do something else in between. I am thankful that that kind of life and struggle is one that I can only witness vicariously.
I actually have the choice to stop watching.

I am very thankful for my simple, safe and sane life.

Too much, too soon

2007-11-04T09:15:00.000-06:00

I was dismayed to read the headline that a radio station was launching the holiday music early. I was surprised when I actually heard a holiday song on my car radio...on November 1. I wasn't ready. It took my brain a little while to recognize that it was a holiday song, and a few seconds more to realize it was one of my favorites. I quickly turned it off. My mind isn't ready for Christmas – I am just not programmed that way. I haven't even started to think of any holiday details – to start it now is just too much, too soon. The second assault came at Walgreens - it was all red and green and wrapping paper and ribbons. In the check out line, the child in front of me was singing a carol...oy vey! I don't understand why the holidays have to be stretched out for so long? It just further removes the joy of the season and buries it in commercialism. Christmas is supposed to start the day after Thanksgiving, not the day after Halloween. That's just me, and I suspect its you too!

So before its too late, Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Web-o-Ween

2007-10-15T20:51:00.000-05:00

What's looking good for you this year? What are your Halloween plans? Going to dress up? Dress down? OD on snack size Snickers? Or just pass the day without a thought?

I haven't decided either!

Me and My Mary Janes

2007-10-01T15:05:00.000-05:00

Since it is October the First, I looked at my clothing and accessories with thoughts of outfits and what to store with the squirrels for the winter. I noticed that the shoes I have for business meetings, which were great for the summer, are not going to cut the fashionista strings for the fall and winter. So I went shopping, I had a tight budget and style limitation - black Mary Janes. Wait a minute - doesn't she already have some? Yes, I do, either they are suede, party shoes, too sensible of a heel, or old and scuffed - none the best for a first impression. (I have plenty for the second and third impression.)

I went shopping and saw some really cool shoes that if I wasn't limited, I would get in a minute. Of course, some were too funky, some were too high of heels, too low of heels, too casual, didn't fit or they didn't have my size. I would have loved these shoes (above), but after I put them on, my next stop would be the broken ankle clinic. I also have the problem with the straps interfering with my high arches. Then I was intrigued with something like these (above right), I have so many pointy toe shoes that I think its time to broaden my horizons. But the heel was little clunky and they didn't look like they would do anything for someone wearing a suit..unless I was moving to Europe in the next few weeks.

I fell in love with something that looked just like these (left). But the heels were way too high for business, standing for hours at the watercooler or running to catch the elevator (but I found them on the internet and earmarked the page). I love the double strap concept.

Eventually, I came home with these (below right). I like them. While I am not in love yet, they will be a new friend and companion! They have the double straps, a 2.5 inch heel and the rounded toe - which doesn't look as bad on my foot as I thought it might. I hated that snub/stub toe (Chinese foot binding inspired) look from a few years ago. And best of all, they cost less than what I budgeted! You can't really tell in the picture, but they have this cool Louis heel (with a concave curve and outward taper) - sometimes called Pompadour or French heels. This is just another contribution to culture from Louis XIV, the Sun King - developer of Versailles (from dad's hunting cottage to the amazing place it is today). Je sui fromage!

Finally, my editorial: I just can't buy into (no pun intended) the open toe/peep toe thing in a dress shoe or pump. I know I had a pair back in 1985 and they were all the rage in WWII and with Joan Crawford - but they are long gone. I also just don't know about the wedge thing - isn't it a haircut? Isn't it supposed to covered in braided hemp? I just can't do it - its not me! So if you catch me wearing these (left), make sure to ask me what's wrong!

What's in your closet?

It's not TV, its HBO

2007-09-29T18:59:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I was formallly introduced to the "Flight of the Conchords" on HBO (via on demand) by my brother-in-law. It is hysterical! I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. It is a program about a two man band from New Zealand trying to find success in New York. Their songs are funny and sarcastic, their naivete is refreshing and all the characters (I love the band manager slash NZ Cultural Attache!) come together to make a delectable 1/2 hour of entertainment (Yoko Ono references included). The band is the comedy and music act of the same name staffed by Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie. My sister and I agree we had a little crush on Jemaine...his moves, his glasses, the way he talks, dresses, and dances. Don't take my word for it, watch: "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros"

Apparently, I'm not the only one to feel this way, so I borrow from the Telegraph.co.uk website:

"I can’t deny that the best new series of the night was Flight of the Conchords (BBC4). Made for HBO, this is a sitcom that features a couple of blokes from New Zealand (Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement) living in America, talking about girls and wondering why their two-piece band has only one fan. The dialogue is interspersed with songs sung directly to camera, commenting on the action (or lack of it). If this makes the programme sound slightly peculiar, then that wouldn’t be unfair. On the other hand, in a rare twist for such an original sitcom, the originality feels entirely unself-conscious. More importantly, the jokes are funny. The dialogue, in fact, is delivered in such a low-key way that it takes you a moment to realise how witty and well-crafted it is. The songs combine more gags with surprisingly touching tunes. All in all, I feel a cult hit coming on."

Forget about politically correct, if you, like me, can start to giggle when someone sings from his heart, "You're so beautiful, you could be a part time model...but you'll probably still have to keep your normal job." So I dare you, go to YouTube and search for Flight of Conchords and watch 'em all - the live pieces and the video downloads from the program. Of course, some episodes are much better than others, but one can't always hit a homerun.

PS. Apparently their song, "Business Time" (below) has been played on the radio. Yes its not PG, but its funny for adults...Barry White anyone?
I love when people can just put their silly out there - What is your silly?

Sunrise Chicago

2007-09-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

The sun also rises on the last day of summer. Pre-dawn (6:09 a.m.) Lake Michigan from the park surrounding the Adler Planetarium.

Where were YOU this morning?

6000 and clicking

2007-09-16T19:06:00.000-05:00

I have now taken more than 6200 pictures with my DSLR...this is number 6000 (of a sculpture at the Fabyan Forest Preserve in Batavia/Geneva). It equates to almost 500 pictures a month! I can't even imagine how expensive the film, processing and printing would have been. The digital brings so much freedom - the opportunities to experiment and take risks are limitless. Thank you science and technology and innovation!

My creative life has changed the last year...how has yours?

Test

2007-09-12T14:21:00.000-05:00

Today I took an online instrument (and yes there are thousands out there!) to discover my personal DNA...I was surprised by the response because none of the questions led me to think it would discover my artistic sense! Apparently I am a Benevolent Artist...some highlights of the description were:

Your appreciation of beauty, ability to think abstractly, and innovativeness make you an ARTIST.
You would rather seek out new experiences than stick to your everyday habits, taking in as much of the world as possible.
You are curious about things, interested in the "why" more than the “how.”
You have an active imagination that leads you express yourself in a distinct way.
You are a great person to interact with—understanding, giving, and trusting—in a word, BENEVOLENT
You're a good listener, and even better at offering advice.
Considering many different perspectives is something at which you excel, and you appreciate that quality in others.
Because of your understanding and patience, you tend to bring out the best in people.

Click HERE to find out your own personal DNA.

Mahna Mahna!

2007-09-01T01:44:00.000-05:00

I was entertaining my youngest nephew yesterday afternoon and in an effort to stay quiet while his brother was napping, we surfed over to YouTube. Since he’s only two years old, I searched “Sesame Street” and this was the first thing we watched…and the second and the third!

Later, we sang and danced a little for the rest of the family...

Mahna Mahna
Do doo be-do-do
Mahna Mahna
Do do-do do
Mahna Mahna
Do doo be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do be-do-do-doodle do do do-doo do!

But ya' know, even though the song is now ensconced in my head (and in yours, too) its an accurate description of my current mood and mind! I feel good, I feel dancy, I feel silly, I feel groovy, I feel pink, I feel shaggy, I feel flustered, I feel mahna mahna!

Mahna Mahna!

Fluke

2007-08-11T19:11:00.000-05:00

This picture was not planned.

I did not notice the bird. Instead of immediately editing under the glaring sun of an early August afternoon, I discovered it hours later in the comfort of my home. After the initial annoyance, I realized one can resent how it "ruined" the composition or simply embrace the bird. I decided I like it. I like how it makes a picture that may have been a stagnant “still life” of pottery and plants become energetic and alive. Now, I have started to wonder about all that creeps - or flies - into our life uninvited and/or unnoticed. And how those things leave permanent marks upon us - oh so very powerful they can be.

How much of your life is irrevocably affected by randomness and happenstance? And, sooooooooo, you may ask yourself,

"Well...How did I get HERE?"

So I'm having a Kermit fetish these days...same as it ever was!

Bein' Green

2007-07-24T15:47:00.000-05:00

“Going green” and “being green” is getting a lot of publicity, star power and recognition behind it these days. I applaud these efforts and am trying to be more conscious of the things I do and the choices I make. Even so, I have to make a confession: green did not always mean ecology to me. In my mind, being green meant something else.

Yes folks, well before green was in and anyone thought of global warming and seatbelts, a song was sung. Bein’ Green is a beautiful anthem to being an individual: embracing who you are and being happy in your own skin. I salute the star who said it first in 1969…thank you Kermit!
I commend Sesame Street and thank YouTube for publishing all these fun little bits and letting me relive some of my childhood! Speaking of green, I LOVE this new Dell commercial – the colors, the music, the complete cool! I am going to get one in lime metallic (of course).

If you started movin’ and groovin’ to the song – it is called “The W.A.N.D” by The Flaming Lips from their album At War With the Mystics.

So what does (being or going) green mean to you?

"Bein' Green" by Joe Raposo

It's not that easy bein' green;
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold-
or something much more colorful like that.
It's not easy bein' green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water- or stars in the sky.
But green's the color of Spring.
And green can be cool and friendly-like.
And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall like a tree.
When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why? Wonder,
I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!
And I think it's what I want to be.

Now we tie this all together - green, commercials and Kermit:

Alive and Kicking...at age 231

2007-07-01T11:10:00.000-05:00

This week we celebrate independence. Independence of thought. Independence of action – to a reasonable extent. For most of my life – and probably even now – the 4th of July was just a day off from work. This year, I was looking at it as just another Wednesday. I realize that I do not appreciate the independence that we celebrate. For me, it is a "given." It is the only way it is. It is hard for me – and most of you – to value what independence really means. I watched a piece on CBS Sunday Morning documenting a naturalization (citizenship) celebration. Before and after the oath taking, there were sound bites of new (or soon to be) American citizens talking about the freedoms, opportunities, and dreams America fosters. I can not tell you why or how, but I got very emotional and the tears just kept coming as I watched and listened. These are people who had to work to get to this country, to stay here and to adopt a new homeland. I was just born here and it was given to me by the rights of my birth - no tests or challenges.

Both of my parents did not start their lives on the US soil – my father came here with his family (his father was an American already) and my mother came on her own. When I asked her why she became a citizen when she did, her reply was “because at the time I thought I might be deported, I had my family here and I knew I wasn’t going back to Germany.” She said she realized later that she would not have been sent back…but it still wasn’t about independence or the American dream. I do know that the original basis for her coming to America was opportunity. The prospects and chances that she could not have at home. I suspect that rationale faded as life moved on, she took her chances and her motives became simpler. That is the reason why many of us stay here – it is our home and our family.

I wonder how many of us really understand the beauty of being an American – the independence of it all? I suspect that like most things, it means so much more to those who had to really work for it, overcome odds and fight for it. This year I will make more of an effort to celebrate my independence – not just with a cook out, but as a day that will have some of it dedicated to thought and thankfulness of what I was lucky to be blessed with – the gift I never asked or worked for…Freedom.

Happy Independence Day and Happy 231 Birthday America!

Virtual Vacation

2007-06-20T19:34:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I try to travel to some place “exciting” at least once a year…usually its Europe. Last year, it was Canada to Montreal and Quebec City. (Everyone MUST visit QC, it is amazing -as shown above- and an option to visit a piece of France without leaving the continent. One caveat though, try to avoid bringing your teenage nephew who knows everything.)

Due to resource conservation this summer, I have no concrete travel plans. However, yesterday WTTW Digital (Channel 11.1 over the airwaves) changed all that – I traveled virtually this time. From the comfort of my couch, I visited Bayern, the Schwarz Wald and many a town along the Rhein! Toured Heidelberg, Köln and München again – but not on the street with aching feet! WTTW was airing programs that showed the scenery and settings as viewed from a helicopter. It was shot beautifully, accompanied by great music and commentary from a lady who was just a little too smarmy for my taste. But how can I complain when I saw the sights for free?! I called a few friends from the skies over Germany to tell them about my trip and how well I recovered from jetlag!

I must share that I am watching the travel programs a tad bit more intently these days. With mixed emotions I see where I have been, and where I want to go. My new best friends are: 1) Rick Steves of Rick Steves' Europe – the great humored guy who travels Europe the way I do, B&Bs, pensions, museum passes and an occasional car rental. 2) Rudy Maxa on Smart Travels – who travels the way I wish I could –5 star spas and hotels– which he manages to plug in every episode. (I suspect the commentary is an exchange for lodging.) 3) My newest pal is George Bauer from The Seasoned Traveler. He introduced me to Slovenia and Lake Bled…just look at this picture. Don’t you want to go? Like now!?

I have my next trip charted: Budapest, Graz, Lake Bled, Ljubljana and the grand finale…Venezia.

Now all I need is a sponsor…anyone? anyone? Bueller?

PS: Happy Birthday Carrie! I will never forget you quipping that you felt like you had "lost your uterus" after climbing the hundreds (332 to be exact) of swirly steps to the tower platform of the Strasbourg Cathedral...it still makes me laugh!

Garden Party

2007-06-11T18:46:00.000-05:00

Sitting on my deck, reading a very interesting historical book on German women entitled, “What Difference Does a Husband Make?”, I glanced up and smiled at my plants (two tomatoes too!). I started singing the theme appropriate Ricky Nelson tune - but only remembered the opening line, “I went to a garden party…” I looked up the lyrics: “I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends, A chance to share old memories and play our songs again, When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name, No one recognized me, I didn't look the same, But it's all right now, I learned my lesson well. You see, ya can't please everyone, so ya got to please yourself”

The whole song is nothing about gardens and flowers, but really about being yourself! Which is a very appropriate tie-in to the book I am reading (I’m toggling between a Susan Issaacs novel for fun, and this for enrichment) about women and marital status in Germany between 1930-1960. I have the book because I have an ongoing interest on what life was for my grandmother. She didn’t talk much about the struggles, but from what I have read and learned over the years, life was far from easy before, during and after WWII for the regular German citizen. Even harder for a young woman with parents and a young child to care for. She was one of the women who came out of the war without a husband – one of three groups the author describes: widow, wife or virgin. The German government's (and the “party” as you will!) different leadership throughout that timeframe had varying policy’s for their women folk. Very little, or none, of it could be interpreted as, “you can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself,” HA! It was all about pleasing everyone else, among other things, – but fortunately, because of the results of the war and the lack of men in society, women were able to make more demands and have less judgment bestowed upon them in the latter years.

Very often, I thank my stars and fates that I was born where and when I was. As an aside, while she passed away three years ago at the age of 89.5 - my maternal grandmother is still my hero. She was the most positive, giving and funloving person I was blessed to have in my life. Even with everything she went through, she was always ready to laugh!

So what are you going to do today to please yourself?

Choices

2007-05-29T19:01:00.000-05:00

I recently watched “Sophie’s Choice” – I thought I had seen the whole thing, maybe I read the book, but even though I know what her choice was to be, it was heart wrenching to watch it. It got me thinking about choices, decisions, options, and the road not taken. What kind of choices are we forced to make in life? What decisions do we make with the best information we have at the time, and then regret them to a hideous extent? What things will happen to us that make us move from one side of the fence to the other? Life is full of small choices – what to eat for dinner, books to read, time to wake up; and the large ones – what values to extol, people to love, dreams to follow, things to let bother you and change your life. Tonight, I have a medium choice to make...

A mouse got into my house this afternoon…I screamed bloody murder and was yelling at it to GET OUT and chased it to the back door where I lost him. I do not know if Mickey is still here, but he is not on the deed or mortgage, and is oh so NOT WELCOME - I want him OUT! After calling exterminators, talking to the neighbor and panicking, I covered up two holes in the walls that I saw (cable access and gas pipe to stove) that lead to common wall areas. I am still freaked out. "They" say it is more afraid of me than I am of it - but I would not be so sure. In the 5+ years I have lived here, I have never had anything creepier than a little spider spend the night – which did not bother me. Nevertheless, little live furry squirmy brown things with friends, families and theme parks dedicated to their glory, that is another story. My head just itches thinking about it -
I am just a simple city girl!

Here is my choice, my dilemma…how much am I going to let this odious mouse bother me? I need a restful night for a meeting in the morning, but I do not know if I will feel safe or comfortable to sleep (the exterminator isn’t coming to the building until 2 days from now). Was it an anomaly? Why now? Why this week? Such a week – undeserved parking ticket, insurance did not pay for DDS exam, what is next?
My options…do I remain superstitious and itchy, do I drink a bottle of wine and hope that I sleep without nightmares of furry things crawling all over me, or do I do nothing and live like my sanctuary has not been invaded and tainted?

What would you do?

Syringa vulgaris*

2007-05-07T18:08:00.000-05:00

Two short days ago, I was officially notified by Mother Nature that Spring is really here! On my way to a wedding (another rite of the season), I saw that all the lilac trees (*in Latin) along the expressway had begun to bloom. So pretty, so fragrant, so yummy! I say “ly lock” you say “ly lack”, either way they signify that real moment of Spring when Winter is truly in the past and the midwestern Summer (with its sweet smells) is on its way.
I cannot wait to wander the streets to stop and sniff each and every lilac bush I see.

The initial lilac sighting led to a $75.46 Visa charge for annuals (and a planter for a tomato seedling) to populate my potted container garden on my back porch. I had more plants than I had space for, thus a neighbor benefited from the petunia overflow. I love this time of year and having a second living room outdoors! Even with the dirt underneath my fingernails, I am enjoying the benefits of my blooms, books from the library and my early retirement (albeit temporary).

What would you do with your first real day of Spring?

Life, Liberty and the Suit of Happiness

2007-04-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I had noticed a billboard depicting Chris Isaak, a suit, and the omnipresent Shure 55 microphone featured in many many many musician photographs. Being a Chris Isaak fan well before it was cool, I clicked to the Hart Schaffner Marx website to see what it was all about.

What I found was an ad/intro with snappy looking men, great clothes, cool music and one of the greatest taglines…EVER. The bit ended with “Life, Liberty, and the SUIT of Happiness.” Some agency was on the ball and fresh out of citizenship class – it was classy and made me smile. I was also voyeuristically enjoying a flashback to my early career days in the consulting land when suits and snazz were de rigour… Sadly as I write this today, that clever bit is no longer available on the HSM website (big sigh). So little advertising is good, gets your attention, sticks in your mind and motivates you to buy. Its all so fleeting…

Back to HSM…I cannot complain with what they replaced that piece with: the advertising is still clever and classy…it's Chris Isaak! (The original hero in this story and still the only musical artist I actually paid money to see.) What a match! I have no real opinions one way or the other about artist product endorsement…but come on, after witnessing this, even I am disappointed that I have no real reason or resources to buy a men’s suit!

You can also enjoy Chris’ own website here. For a little humor, be sure to watch Wicked Game (with artist commentary about the video). Be forewarned its a little racy...but if you can keep your eyes in your head and listen...

I love self-deprecating sarcastic wittiness in people! Don’t you?

A namesake, who me?

2007-04-03T21:30:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed that our name becomes us and we become our name? I had a conversation this morning where this was the topic. We discussed how there are people in our lives – children mostly – who we knew of the time when their name was being decided. And, incredibly, no matter what we thought then, we can’t imagine that person now with another name – it is who they are. A name is so important. Its a definition, but its also a choice. We can keep what is given, or we can change it.

So this neatly links to what I planned to write about: THE NAMESAKE, a movie in current release based on the book of the same title by Jhumpa Lahiri. It is the story of a Bengali Indian family who moves to the US and builds their life here. Check out the trailer(click on video)here.

All the advertising and reviews suggest the film is the story of the family, but what I realized at the end of the film, its not just about the family, or even just the name. It was the story of Ashima, the mother. It starts with her and ends with her. I also think my perception is a direct result of the simple fact that the actress portraying her, Tabu, was AMAZING: she deserves an Oscar.
So, what is the name in the story? It’s Gogol, for the Russian writer, and Gogol (the son - who the book/film title refers to) struggles with it throughout the story. He embraces it as a child, and casts it off as a teen when he learns of the writer, and in college it occurs to him how ridiculous it would look on a resume. Then the truth comes to him and Gogol makes another decision.

The reason Gogol is given his name is meaningful, beautiful, laudable and definitely not what anyone expected it to be. On the other hand, my story isn’t so special. Sometime in the last five years I finally got confirmation of what I always wondered: yes, I was named after it. Thank goodness it’s a pretty name in itself, but the prettiness wasn’t what brought it the table, it was driven there by a c ar. Thank you Emil Jellinek for naming your daughter...and the brand all those years ago.
So what’s the story behind YOUR name?

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2007-03-18T16:59:00.000-05:00

...or just one?

One very important word.

The word that means so much, is easy to say. Both a noun and a verb.

For one family at Graceland Cemetary: it is who they are and what they do.

For the rest of us...

it is a word of wisdom.

Beverly Gray, Trixie Belden, Cherry Ames, the Dana Girls and Nancy Drew…oh my!

2007-03-08T19:40:00.000-06:00

I just learned that there will be a Nancy Drew movie released this summer, and this news got me thinking…now that Nancy’s hitting the big screen, what have Trixie and Cherry been up to? How about the Dana sister’s and Beverly Gray? The grand mystery solvers of their days - and my childhood. Like every other girl in America, I grew up reading those books and they were the first to suggest the opportunity that life might give me. I grew up in a house without television, so my sisters and I were voracious readers – we still are! My imagination was fed by the adventures of young girls who lived on the town library's shelf until they came home with me. My favorite was Cherry Ames, simply because she took her career as a nurse EVERYWHERE! She nursed on cruises, skiing, the jungle, boarding school, camp, the mountains, etc. I mean come on, how clever was she for that day (1940s)!?! What a great example – she was responsible and did her job but she still lived and had fun (and of course solved mysteries)! Cherry was/is a better role model than Nancy – Nancy was smart and all, but DADDY paid for everything and Cherry took care of herself! She even seriously motivated me to be a nurse in my young teendom. But as I look back, it was probably the adventures and independence I was interested in, not the nursing. (And of course, my mother, the RN, threatened to disown any of her children who stepped one bandaged toe into any type of healthcare providing educational program.)

I will openly admit that there are some books that I go back to because life was simpler then - there is a comfort in reading them. My absolute favorite still is Betsy-Tacy. How I wished I was part of Deep Valley’s high school class of 1910…I also wonder if my attraction to nordic men has some connection to Joe Willard? Hmmmm...in fact my first college beau, Jim, had the blue eyes, blonde hair and mustache - as if he had posed for Vera Neville's beautiful pictures of Joe a generation (or two) before he was born. If you do not know about Betsy-Tacy, please please introduce her to yourself and your daughters, you will not regret it. There is a non-for-profit organization focused on these amazing stories and the author, Maud Hart Lovelace http://www.betsy-tacysociety.org/. Its still not quite yet spring, and the mud is everywhere, …so until flowers makes an appearance, I invite everyone to dig out those old favorites and live some vicarious adventures. I may visit the library this weekend to see if Cherry is still alive – passing out aspirin and traveling to Iraq...

Monet Moderne

2007-02-25T10:27:00.000-06:00

This is today. This is today through the lens. This is today facing east through – yes, a storm door with screen. This is as far as I got out my back door. We were threatened with a winter storm warning for the weekend and my plan for today was to head outside with my camera and capture the beauty of the snow.

However, I was stopped when I could not get my back door open! It is so wet, icy and icky, so wicky out there, while the sun does not shine through.
Welcome to February in Middle West!

I’d like to think of the snow as something to purify, to wash out the old – preserve it in untouchable, irreversible frost – to be kept in the freezer and finally brought out in the summer as a refreshing laughable memory. That is what I want to do with the old and yesterday. Right now, I have to do one of those well worn and over used concepts, a “dichotomy shift”. The problem is – I am not sure what to shift it to. There are so many doors facing me right now that I am not sure which one to look for keys for. Until then, I am focused on the peacable reality – do what you do best! Just do it! Feed the creative beast within - photography – photography is I! It is not all of me, but it is a part of me with no fear, no questions, and no lack of joy and talent and in no need of paradigm shifting!

I watched an interview this morning on CBS with Jennifer Holiday, and I think I connected with what she said about her singing – no matter what was going on, she’d still keep on singing…so I am going to keep on snapping…there is always the front door to lead me to the snow!

We never live the same day twice

2007-01-30T20:37:00.000-06:00

“Every day in life is the first time. Every morning is new.
We never live the same day twice.”

How true. What is unbelievable is that this never really occurred to me until I heard it said. As I get older it seems that everything is the same, nothing is different, and the only change in a day is the clothes I wear. But that statement really hit home to me – maybe I was ready to hear it, or accept it, or open to freshness of life. Every day really truly is new, I have never lived the same day twice – and neither have you. What a wonderful blessing that we have in every day. It is a new adventure, a new chance to peel away the hours and minutes in discovery. The moments, the smiles, the conversations, the thoughts, the dreams, the tastes, the sounds – every thing is new every day. We will never ever live the same day twice!

So where did this pearl of wisdom come from? This was said by one of the many characters in Edward Yang’s film “Yi Yi.” There was so much that touched me as I lived the film (yes, lived, it is one of those films that you do more than just watch). There are many characters and parallels between them, and everything is tied together so beautifully. What is wonderful, is that usually it is just the main character in any story that changes, but in this film, they all do. The following is said by one of the characters in the latter part of the story,

“I had a chance to relive part of my youth. My first thought was that I could make things turn out differently. But they turned out the same, or not much different. I suddenly realized that even if I was given a second chance, I wouldn’t need it. I really wouldn’t.”

This instigated more thoughts – why regret yesterday, because in reality – today will be whatever it was supposed to be…but it will always be new.

There aren’t many films that I recommend, and this is one that I highly do – not just for the story, but for the very unique cinematography. I can’t say what hasn’t been said already by its critical acclaim, and I invite you to watch the film and to consider this thought,

"Why is the world so different from what we think it is?"

7-1-07: Sadly, Edward Yang passed away June 29, 2007 - we won't be able to witness any more of his sure to have been amazing films.

I Have A Dream

2007-01-14T18:08:00.000-06:00

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."

I love that speech – the message is amazing and thought provoking, but it was also the cadence in how it was delivered that make it memorable and ring so true – even so many years after it was given. Click here to see it on You Tube.

Soon we remember Dr. Martin Luther King – we celebrate his insight, his thoughts, his bravery and his dream. It makes me think about how we all have a gift. We all have something special, a unique skill that makes us who we are and something that we are an example of to the world. Dr. King was a great leader and orator – and yes so much more. But who are we? Who are you? I have learned that my gift is my creativity – and I share as much as I can. Not having children to be my legacy, my legacy is my art – my pictures, my works, my photographs and words.

What is your gift? What is your dream?

PS - Check out the Shure 55 Unidyne Microphone on the podium!

Peace be with you

2006-12-21T20:13:00.000-06:00

This is a time of year that fills me with mixed emotions. I love, and I really mean LOVE to shop and buy presents and let those that I care about know how much I appreciate them and what they add to my life. I love the giving of Christmas...but I hate that it has so much build up and disappears in a flash. But in all sincerity, I think I retain my Christmas spirit all year round - I do...now that I think about it! And I don't think I am bucking tradition: Didn't the wise guys bearing gifts show up months after Christs birth...and wasn't he really born some time in the spring or summer? So really - the Christmas season technically should be year round.

New Years is a little different: somehow, it gets a bit depressing - its the end of another year and what has really happened to me, what has changed, what have I really done? Did any of those thoughts or "resolutions" really stick? It just occured to me that when you break down that word "re + solution" it makes a lot of sense. We are looking for solutions to change our lives, and we seem to "re(peat)" the same ones every year....hmmmm?!?! The old stand bys for the "solutions" to all our problems: make new friends, lose weight, be nicer to animals, volunteer more, stick to your budget, etc., they seem to be "re" negotiated every year.

I am not not going to make any resolutions this year...im just going to continue the ones from last year (and the year before that, and before that).

Happy Everything Everyone!

In the Mood

2006-12-05T19:16:00.000-06:00

Something happened, something dormant for years has finally erupted in me...The Ghost of Christmas Decorating Present. I love the holiday, love to shop for everyone, put up my display my Wendt & Kuhn angel orchestra (add a piece each year), make my own holiday cards, and more. But this year...it hit me. I'm in the mood for a fully festooned Christmas - the full throttle one (tasteful of course!) It is time to get a tree - and decorate it. In my adult life (and we wont say how long that is) I have never had a tree. I would put ornaments on plant, but my latest big plant couldn't handle the weight and the last few years have been very minimal... Over the years - I have been collecting ornaments - since I give them out every year, I'd usually keep one of that year's trinket for myself - but they stayed tucked away for a future date. Yes Virginia, my thoughts were humbuggish - if I took it all out, I'd have to put it all away later! And the needle dropping of a real tree, clean up and maintenance... forget about it! I liked my mother's idea of branches, no tree is harmed (just trimmed) and it's not plastic or silver! But I got sold at Target. I was picking up a few things and you can't miss the huge display of fake trees...and the naturalist in me didn't care...they looked good. Really good! I instantly envisioned a nice model filling a corner of my living room area. But I went home without it. The next day my mind was set. I was getting a fake tree and I knew exactly which one it would be...my heart and soul were set on it. It was beautiful, full, soft, and green. I won't bore you with the details, but they didn't have anymore, it was sold out - but I had to have that one. I was in the store 2 hours and they called many stores, but obviously my taste isn't as unique as I think it is. By then, I HAD to have a tree, but it couldn't be huge or cost a fortune. A brief interlude of 10 minutes at Home Depot had my backseat stuffed with a floor sample (pre-lit too!). I am not sure what this change means, but at the very minimum….I'm proud of my tree! And I’m proud that we all can celebrate another year of the good life – overcoming obstacles and living one day at a time. I wish you all the best for the holidays!

Shameless Commerce

2006-11-10T20:15:00.000-06:00

Well folks...It's here! It's ready! Just in time for the Holidays! After two and a half months of picture taking (refer to blog post of August 31), staging, restaging, wandering, editing, uploading, and then downloading, sorting, deleting and adding - I am proud to share the result of oh-so-much activity...

THE PIG PROJECT

A color photo book of 92 of the best of Canadian Bacon!

I've opted to use an on-demand printer for distribution of the book for flexibility and so that choices of hardcover, soft cover, glossy or satin paper, and shipping speeds are made by you, the consumer. I researched and tested out a few printers, and was most impressed with viovio.com whose main focus is photography - sharing, blogs and quality printing. I am very proud of this project and hope you share in my excitement. If you'd like to get your own copies of the book (hey, why not?!?!), just click here to www.viovio.com/shop/3360. Thank you and remember, no coffee-table (or breakfast) is complete without this book!

Antifaschistischer Schutzwall

2006-11-02T17:07:00.000-06:00

This last week I was celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was not intentional, it just happened. Somehow, the fates put both a book and movie covering different spectrums of the same topic into my hands within a few days. For the few of you who don’t know, Germany was divided after WWII and reunified in 1989/1990. This led to many difficulties and a lot of drama – being apart and driving in opposing political directions, lifestyles and values for 40 years will create differences in anyone!

The book, “The House at the Bridge” chronicles Villa Schöningen (and its inhabitants) in Potsdam. The house was situated at the base of the Glienicke Bridge and was a famed site of spy exchanges during the Cold War. The villa was also historically significant in its architecture and garden designs. It was owned by the Wallich family before WWII and due to political circumstances, they had to abandon it. They intended to return, but with the onset of the DDR, they were unable to and their home became a socialist kindergarten. For 40 years the house had a life without its rightful owners. After the wall fell in 1989, many (or their descendents) families returned to East Germany with hopes of reclaiming what was theirs. This led to many ethical questions: If the government forces you from your home, and gives it to someone else, and then the government changes, do you get your home back? Do you get 40 years rent? Is the resident responsible for paying you 40 years rent? Where is the displaced resident going to go? At the end of the book (published in 1995), the fate of Villa Schöningen was not determined so I did a little research and it looks like it will be restored (based on my interpretation of this news piece) to its pre-1945 glory.

My latest delivery from Netflix was “Good-Bye Lenin”. First of all, I must recommend it to everyone – its very well done (and funny). The film is about an East Berlin family in 1989/90. The mother was very active Socially (as in the Socialist Party), has a heart attack and falls into a coma. As she lies unconscious for eight months, the wall falls and the world changes. When she wakes up, the doctors inform her children that she won't survive any stress or shock. The story is about the lengths her son goes to continue the myth that everything is the same as it was before she became ill. The mother is the only person living in Berlin who still thinks the wall is up...as long as her family manages the charade and hides the invasion of capitalism into their lives. Click here to watch the trailer.

So back to the fates that generated the coincidence of my activities this last week...Sadly, while I never really thought a great deal (shame on me!) about the reality of this historical time and setting, I have now. And I wonder, if my mother’s family didn’t get as far west as they did when the fled from the Russians in 1945…Would I have grown up Socialist in the DDR and lived in a home that we had to give up? Who would I be? What would I be like? How much does fate, luck and government really effect us? Would we be the same person no matter the surroundings and influences? How broad is the whole nature vs. nurture debate? While i'm not sure of the answers, I do ask of you, on forthcoming 17th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, to think about how uncomplicated and free our lives are in comparison. And finally, don't forget to vote...and if you're in Chicago - twice!

Is Halloween a Holiday?

2006-10-17T19:17:00.000-05:00

I wish it were! Let me be one of the first to admit that I do not really care anymore what originated the original origins of Halloween. Be they mystical, seasonal or religious –I love what the day has become! Any day that celebrates having fun, being creative and giving away candy should be a holiday in my book. Especially a day that challenges us to decorate ourselves (in a costume) and /or homes with originality and personality. Yes, many take the easy way out and decorate out of a box, but I challenge you to really look at those kids who come to your door and at the houses on your block to really find something special. REAL creativity is getting lost…and I thank the geniuses at the Halloween Guild for having a day to remind us that creativity counts! And about that loss, personally I think it started when Lego sets started coming with more than white, blue and red blocks. I will never forget the day my mother “surprised” my oldest nephew with the pre-historic Lego’s from our childhood and his dismay that a manual and 367 unique parts were missing….

Happy Halloween and BE CREATIVE!

A few thoughts on a great loss

2006-09-28T19:20:00.000-05:00

My family is small, we are close, we disagree, we live near and we live far. However, my family is always here in my heart. But my real family isn’t typical, my family isn’t just my parents and siblings: the family I grew up with is a group people who were immigrants to the US, new to Chicago and who came together as an amazing group of friends and who have maintained that friendship since before I was born. I consider all those people my true family, my aunts, my uncles, my cousins and my friends. However, we have lost the one man in this wonderful family who was “really” my uncle - Edgar.

Edgar passed away this week– he was working in the Philippines as a consultant on a construction project. He was only 67, and I think the first of his family, friends and generation to pass away. I know I feel an awful grief, which will probably never match the pain that his siblings feel (my father and my aunt) and most of all the loss his wife and children feel. We are all shocked and we are all missing the same person who was someone special to all of us.

Over the last 24 hours I have thought a lot about Edgar and who he was to me - I have cried and I have smiled. He always told me that he thought I was a wonderful writer and artist, and what I do right now for him – and for me – is write. I hear his voice and all the bad jokes he made and how we was an “expert” on everything – that was the man I knew as an adult. He teased us all the time, but you could tell he was proud of us and what we had become. His laugh and the accented way he said my name still echos in my ears. I can honestly say, that while I am sure he had his troubles, I never saw him sad, or in a sour mood.

Mexico, 1971

Edgar was a magnanimous and magnetic man. Oh he truly was! He was the life of the party, so outgoing and charming and we loved him for it. As I child I didn’t realize that sometimes charm isn’t what’s its cracked up to be, but he would fill your heart with warmth and you couldn’t help but want to be with him. I am fairly certain that if you look up “suave” in the dictionary, you will see his picture. If he was in your high school class, he was the guy voted "most popular" "most humourous" "best personality" "most preppy" and more. And no one would think it was rigged (or wonder about Chicago voting practices), that's just who he sincerely was!

My sweetest recollection of him is from my childhood. As a little girl, even after my parents divorced, Edgar always made a point to come visit us on our birthdays. As we all know, he was always HOURS late for everything, I remember refusing to go to bed on a birthday because I knew he was coming. I do not recall when he stopped doing that, but those are fond memories because he brought his amazing vitality (and very cool presents - and I know I still have a few!)

Those thoughts are not all that I prize – I treasure the fact that this man was in my life. That he added so many moments and memories to my life – the wonderful celebrations and parties he loved to host, Washington Island, blueprints as wrapping paper, old tennis rackets at the park, his eggnog, his precise script, the red and green pants, Sting games, Moodys Pub, Devo, the sail boat, getting sick on the sail boat, his insistence that scotch would cure a headache, Comstock blue and orange, a library in the WC, his great taste in people and food – except the time we went for East Indian stuff – aagh!

I cherish that he was such a captivating, intelligent and witty person, and that he loved me. He loved all of us. I realize its not my purpose here to make a eulogy, but Edgar, I know you are reading this and I salute you! I thank you for being the best uncle I ever had.

I love you and I miss you Eggie.

"…Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them,
In my life I'll love you more."
(Lennon/McCartney)

The Bee’s Knees

2006-09-13T18:55:00.000-05:00

I think I’m slipping into middle age a little less gracefully than planned.

But, what did I plan – what was I thinking? When you’re a teenager, 23 is old, and when your 23, 28 is ancient, and at 30, anyone over 40 is retired and living in Florida! BUT I don’t feel old – I still feel like a kid – maybe cause I don’t have any kids. But what I have to accept is that my body isn’t the way it used to be – actually I can target one thing (well two)…my knees.

My knees are getting old – they are sooooooooooooo much older than me! They snap like buckshot when I bend them and ache at the oddest times and in the most whimsical ways. A full two weeks ago, just 14 short days ago, wearing heels was fun and comfortable…but the last few days, it's like I am this disjointed carcass jibbing around. (About the above picture, that’s what I feel like inside on the left, and on the right is the old man who is using my knees!)

This crackly condition has pushed something to the forefront. I’ve wanted to and talked for eons about moving to a more accessible building – with the joy of indoor parking and an elevator – but I just stayed put (the thought of packing....eyow). Well, I think I have officially decided to put my place on the market! So anyone interested in a beautiful two bedroom, top floor walk-up condo, located a few blocks to the city’s Brown Line? Tell your friends, enemies and countryman!

Or maybe, just maybe, the knocky knee kondition is a result of all the rain rain rain rain rain from the last few days?

We, like sheep

2006-09-03T13:15:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of opinions out there about people as sheep. I completely understand the Book of Isaiah, verse 53:6, when it says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on his servant the sins of us all." I take this to mean (in part) that by being blind and unquestioning, we can get into trouble. But on the other hand, I'd like to argue that once in a while, complete and pervasive individuality can be extremely stressful. I mean, isn't it nice to just follow the crowd and not worry for once in a while? Isn't it more often than not that the sheep that wanders and stands alone on the meadow is the one that gets mauled and devoured by the wolf? Of course I am not that lazy to not ever explore and debate, but sometimes I really don't want to be different just for the sake of being different. I don't want to research everything to death, I don't have time to read everything and explore every option out there for everything. I take pride in opting to be a sheep now and then - sometimes you live a longer, healthier life by choosing to be part of the warm and wooly masses. Because everyone who knows me, knows that I had my turn(s) to be maimed by the wolf, and on other occasions, being the right sheep at the right time and benefiting from the wolf's one last opera ticket...
So those are my thoughts when I think of labor (organized and other), the workforce and of life and sheep...Happy Labor Day!

Little Pig Big City

2006-08-31T20:57:00.000-05:00

I have started a new project - while I openly admit that it is not an original concept, I'm still making it my own with my own twists and turns (of the camera dials and focusing ring). What started a few days ago as an exercise to experiment with all the doohicky watchamacallit whiz bang tinkle tattles on my DSLR, has turned into hundreds* pictures of this pig...and my ideas keep coming. The inspiration keeps jolting me awake, interrupting my train of thought at work, and even though some of the concepts are a little off color, they still make me laugh (and that's what's important). My current plan is to work on this for a while and make a book just in time for the holiday shopping rush...Frohliche Weinachten/Happy Chanukah/Feliz Navidad/Happy Chinese New Year everyone! (*ahhh - the joy of digital, downloading and instant gratification - and deletion!)

But aside from the creative part, its been an interesting exploration of my mind, my home and my neighborhood and the examination of things from a pigs perspective... Wilbur and Charlotte would be so proud! There is so much beauty in nature - yes big sister, there is nature in the city (especially the alleys!), and there is also beauty in what man leaves behind or what nature does to what man leaves as his mark on the planet. Its also fun, to put the pig in the middle of everything outdoors by taking advantage of what's JUST ALREADY THERE with no or minimal adjustment. On the other spectrum, I have staged a few scenes and setups around the house etc., and one of my very favorites involves the oven....I'm not telling, so you'll just have to buy the book!

BTW - A brief intro to the star: he's a hand blown multicolored glass pig who measures 3.5 inches from snout to tale tip. I had named him "Canadian Bacon," as we had met in July in a little glass shop on the Rue de la Petit Champlain in Quebec (city), Quebec. He doesn't have the proper worker's visa for resident aliens, so please don't tell the Feds! Maybe he can find work as a concrete engineer???

A fly went by

2006-08-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

"The fly ran away in fear of the frog, who ran from the cat, who ran from the dog. The dog ran away in fear of the pig, who ran from the cow. She was so big! The cow ran away from the fox, who ran as fast as he could in fear of the man. That man heard a thump, and away he ran! It was just a sheep, with an old tin can!" Mike McClintock (ca 1958)

Why does so much lose its perspective so quickly? Is that the blessing of an overactive imagination? Don't get me wrong, im glad that I get to go places and dream things in my mind and that there is sooo much that titillates my psyche - but it also gets stressful imagining what could be, what might be, what should be? Today I experimented with my macro lens for the DSLR and as I spent time focusing on this fly (on a wilted flower, in a planter, on my deck, on the top floor, on my street, in my city....okay I'll stop!) I kept wondering why he/she wasn't bothered by my obvious intrusion into it's day?
But isn't that how we are in this world - so much goes on around us sometimes and we ignore it, or we just don't see it, or maybe we just don't care? What is wrong with our perspective? Is imagination reality or is there so much imagination that perspective is lost?
So for now, just ponder the pretty pink petals...

Change

2006-08-22T21:11:00.000-05:00

I would really wonder what the world would be like if we didn't have constant change? Is change always so good or so bad? With all the activity on the world's stage, wouldn't it be nice if there were some things we could always count on...And would those things be enuf to keep up our strength to deal with all that comes our way? I know my life has been twisting and turning and twisting back the last 20 years - but as we get older I think I find myself saying a tad bit more often, can I get off this ride - just for a week or two? But then would I be bored with nothing to be challenged with? Would I be living without change? As William Bridges alludes to, its the transition that gets you - not the change itself. Its not being on constant alert or prepared - is that why some people have such high blood pressure...Is that why mine is so low because im so used to it - does change mean so little anymore? They say change is good, and you don't know what it is while you are in it - I say change is change - and it swings both ways. And fortuitously, I just came across this Chinese Proverb, "The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names."

Houston - we have lift off!

2006-08-19T20:55:00.000-05:00

To blog or not to Blog,

To Blow or not to Blow....my own horn?

THAT is the question?!